Grace and his adherents are sufficiently knowne nor a true teaching Church as shall evidently be demonstrated in the next Chapter CHAP. VI The Religion so violently contended for by the Archbishop of Canterbury and his adherents is not the true pure Protestant Religion I Intend not to transcribe overmuch out of Bishop Mountague Shelford Pocklington Dr. Potter Mr. Chillingworth Dr. Dowe Dr. Heylin c. Their Books are commonly sold and I have given a taste already in the third and fourth Chapters of some of these Authors ex ungue leonem as they say there are a great many passages collected and published already by severall men so that I am forestalled and by some happily prevented there is a Booke entituled Ladensium {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} closely penned and never answered in which their Heresies are filled up by dozens There will come forth a Booke very shortly in which the Designe of Reconciling or rather uniting Rome and Canterbury for there was no great quarrell betweene them will be more fully discovered for these reasons I may well shorten my journey Let any man that desires satisfaction but peruse those Bookes which were Printed in England betweene 1630. and 1639. and compare them with the Harmony of Confessions of the Reformed Churches and then hee may easily judge Mr. Chillingworth proves undeniably that the Church of Rome is not Infallible but to what end and purpose why that Rome and Canterbury may shake hands the Pope may abate something in point of Supremacy his Primacy being grounded upon his Infallibility but if the Pope Cardinals c. the Archbishop of Canterbury and his adherents were united the people would be unwilling to part with their Masse why for that if they will but yeild thus farre as to turne their Masse into English the good men are agreed for Mr. Chillingworth tels the Papists that no Godly Lay man that is an ignorant Papist that is well conceited of the Masse who is verily perswaded that there is neither impiety nor superstition in the use of their Latine Service shall be damned as he hopes for being present at it Excellent Divinity A strong perswasion will turne superstition and impiety into godlinesse Yet he saith there is some danger as long as the Service is in Latine because the want of that devotion which the frequent hearing the offices understood might happily beget in them the want of that instruction and edification which it might afford them may very probably hinder the salvation of many which otherwise might have beene saved that is might have beene saved if the Service had beene in English this is plaine dealing the men are likely to agree the Masse in English may beget such devotion afford such instruction and edification as is sufficient for salvation Can the Papists desire fairer quarter or a foller acknowledgement Is not this doctrine sufficient to effect an Accommodation betweene Rome and Canterbury I dare say all the Papists in England will fight for such a Protestant Religion Mr. Chillingworth in his Epistle Dedicatory gives his Majesty to understand That the Papists allow Protestants as much charity as Protestants allow them and therefore such Protestants and true Papists will easily be reconciled or indeed are already reconciled I cannot stand to reckon up Mr. Chillingworths principles consider these that follow 1. God is not offended with us for not doing what hee knowes we cannot doe Whiles we are unregenerate God knowes we cannot repent and beleeve is not God offended with us even then for our impenitence and unbeleefe besides he conceives that unaffected ignorance joyned with Implicite faith and generall repentance is not damnable 2. Mr. Chillingworth is verily perswaded that God will not impute errours to them as sinnes who use such a measure of industry in finding truth as humane prudence and ordinary discretion their abilities and opportunities their distractions and hinderances and all other things considered shall advise them unto in a matter of such consequence Sure God will judge men with more then ordinary discretion and therefore though we may justifie our selves when our opinions and practises are scanned by humane prudence yet God may justly condemne us for not attending upon him without distraction Such loose principles as these will nurse men up in security and ignorance or else betray them to indifferency in religions to that * Arminian Libertinisme which hath been so much admired of late dayes and cryed up as the only way to maintain peace For if a man poysoned with this principle be seduced by a Papist Arminian Socinian he need use but ordinary discretion and therefore take but ordinary care to resist the seducer Alas his abilities are not great his distractions not few and his hinderances many besides if he have time to consider the Arguments propounded yet hee wants opportunity and therefore all things considered he had as good yeeld as stand out for it is in the eye of humane prudence a matter of no great consequence for Mr. Chillingworth saith a Papist may be saved especially if he have the Masse in English and Socinians are a company of Christians which though they are erroneous in explicating mysteries and take too great a liberty in Speculative matters yet they explicate and maintaine the Lawes of Christ with lesse indulgence to the flesh then the Papists 3. Mr. Chillingworth thinkes it sufficient to beleeve all those bookes of Scripture to be Gods Word of whose Authority there was never any doubt made in the Church hee cannot in reason beleeve the * other bookes so undoubtedly as those books which were never questioned and he hath the example of Saints in heaven to justify or excuse his doubting nay his denyall Sect. 38. There is no necessity of conforming our selves to the judgement of any Church concerning the rest that were never questioned for that also he urges the Authority of some Saints in Heaven ancient Fathers whole Churches by their difference about this point shewed that they knew no necessity of conforming themselves herein to the judgement of any Church Sect. 34. and yet of this controversy whether such or such bookes be Canonicall the Church is to judge Sect. 35. And the Churches testimony is though no demonstrative Enforcement yet an highly probable inducement and so a sufficient ground of faith What kind of faith this is like to prove I know not which is grounded upon a probable testimony to which no man need to subseribe or conform 4. It is enough to beleeve by a kind of Implicite faith that the Scripture is true in Gods own sense and meaning though you know not what God meant if you use such industry as ordinary discretion shall advise for the knowing of Gods meaning of which I have said enough already this may suffice for a taste Dr. Potter is very charitable to the Papists because they receive the Apostles Creed but whether they receive it in the Apostles sense
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ingeniose quidem ut illis videtur foeliciter comminiscuntur quae omnia cùm ridicula magna ex parte appareant efficitur proh dolor ut Jesu Christi religio Judaeis Turcis exteris denique omnibus maximè sit ludibrio Explicat cap. prim Ioh. pag. 9. Our superstitious men of late pressed us to comply with them in hope of converting Papists from their superstition by conforming our selves to the selfe same superstition and now the Socinians would have us to deny Christ to be God that we may convert Turkes and Iewes to the Christian faith as if the best way to convert men to the Christian faith were to deny a prime Article of our Christian faith or as if Jews and Turks would have a better opinion of Christ if the Christians should deny him to be God and so harden them in their beloved blasphemies and yet Faustus Socinus saith his friends did encourage him to write against that inveterate figment of the divine nature of Christ Hac enim ratione Iudaeos Turcas ad Christianam religionem allici posse qui portentosis istis opinionibus quae Christianae fidei Axiomata esse creduntur ab eâ amplectenda semper sunt deterriti Faustus ubi supra pag. 2. I should tyre out my Reader if I should but reckon up the tricks and devices of this Faustus for he pretended just as our Translator here to be a Reformer of the Reformers nay of the Reformation it selfe he makes many glorious pretences in his booke called Solutio Scrupulorum God saith he in this last Age intends to make many new discoveries and to Reforme his Church more thorowly then ever Luther he confesses hath discovered truths enough to carry us to Heaven Zuinglius and Oecolampadius reformed the Church in matters of great weight and moment they are justly to be extolled because they have purged the Church from superstition and Idolatry and caused all false worships to be abhorred but he doth very slily intimate that it was now left to him to confute all errors which Luther Zuinglius and Oecolampadius had not observed in the Church for saith he though the Idols Temple is laid levell with the ground no man hath as yet set up the Temple of Christ nay he goes farther Nec caementa lapides ad illud extruendum parari and we may truly say Socinus lapides loquitur as the Comedian said and he knows full well how to daube with untempered morter He hath written two other pestilent Books in which he hath most cunningly vented his poyson one is a booke which I never saw De ss. Scripturae authoritate which Calovius tels is one of his most subtile pieces and seemes to be one of his first Essayes Dominicus Lopez a Jesuit was so taken or mistaken with it as to print it in the yeare 1588. The other Pamphlet is a briefe discourse De causâ ob quam creditur aut non creditur Evangelio Iesu Christi In this second he speakes plainer then in the former as they say who have read both and they conceive that it was purposely put forth as a Commentary upon the other for Socinus did speake more freely still every yeare then other accordingly as hee saw his Discourses entertained and applauded by potent Abettours he did not put his name to his Commentary upon Iohn till he saw how it would take Libuit antequam nomen nostrum prodamus aliorum exigui hujus laboris nostri judicius cognoscere Explic. Ioh. p. 4. And Calovius saith he did not put his name to it till whole Churches Congregations I suppose he meanes had subscribed to Socinus his Tenets Calovius de Origine Theol. Soc. p. 19. He gained very much by his feigned modesty he saith it was his hearty desire to bring all men to his opinion yet such was his charity and modesty that he would account them brethren who counted him an Hereticke and held his opinions to be pernicious upon condition they did their best to live in obedience to Christs precepts and sought in a faire way to convince him by Scripture Explic. cap. prim Ioh. pag. 4. But though he pretended to be ruled by Scripture it is most evident that all his Art was to withdraw men from hearkning to the plainest Texts of Scripture which doe contradict blinde carnall reason He taught the world a new way of disputing in Divinity we were wont to argue thus Whatsoever God saith is true but God saith thus and thus ergo but he taught us to prove That such and such a proposition is true by the causes and proper effects first or else saith he it is absurd to thinke that God said any thing but truth and therefore unlesse it can appeare by some demonstrative argument that such a proposition is true we must not pitch upon that proposition as the minde of the holy Ghost in any Text of Scripture what ever the words of the Text seeme to hold forth unto us wee must goe looke out for some other sense which is agreeable to right Reason Rationis lumen quo Deus nos donavit aperte ostendit non debere nec posse corporalem poenam quam unus debeat ab alio persolvi idque etiam omnium gentium ac seculorum legibus ac consuetudinibus perpetuo maximo consensu comprobatum sit as Socinus in his Tract Deservatore Behold how the light of Reason the Laws nay the Customes and perchance some of them unreasonable of Nations must over-rule God so that God himselfe shall not be believed if he doe not speake consonantly to my corrurpt reason and our vaine Customes It is cleare and evident that whatsoever Socinus produces against Christs satisfaction or our Justification is a meere figment of his owne braine for he onely urges some colourable arguments which have but a shew or shadow of reason But I shall not instance in more particulars now because I desire to passe on and discover Socinus his subtilty in scattering his errors abroad in Sarmatia Transylvania c. and therefore this shall suffice for the Rise of Socinianisme CHAP. II. The Growth of Socinianisme ILL weeds thrive apace Laelius had sowne his errors as hath beene already shewen in some five or sixe yeares within ten yeares space there were whole Congregations submitted themselves to the Socinian yoake in Sarmatia as Doctor Calovius assures mee Intra decennium integra Ecclesiae accesserunt haeresi ejusdem in Sarmatia Consid Th. Soc. Prooemial pag. 65. And this Heresie did spread so fast in Transylvania that within twenty yeares after there were some hundreds of Congregations infected Ut vix triginta elapsis annis aliquot Centuriae Coetuum talium ibidem numeratae fuerint Ibid. What they maintained upon their first Apostasie may bee seene in a Booke De falsa vera unius Dei Patris Filii S. Sti. cognitione It pleased God that Franciscus Davidis the
know whether there were any Scripture or no chap. 2. pag. 65 66. I thought it had beene necessary to have received those materiall objects or Articles of our Faith upon the authority of God speaking in the Scriptures I thought it had beene Anabaptisticall to have expected any Revelation but in the Word of God for a Revelation nay a supernaturall revelation is necessary to help naturall reason as the same Mr. Chillingworth acknowledges Knot had very unhappily branded Mr. Chillingworth for a Socinian because he maintaineth That nothing ought or can bee certainly believed farther then it may be proved by evidence of naturall reason where I conceive saith Mr. Chillingworth naturall reason is opposed to supernaturall revelation and whosoever holds so let him be Anathema Sect. 28. in his Answer to Knots Direction to N. N. Now let Mr. Chillingworth say that either there is a Revelation to be expected out of the Word as the Enthyfiasts do or else let him acknowledge that God hath ordained the Scriptures as the meanes and instruments to reveale saving truths and let him teach men to depend upon the Ordinances of God and not make men stand at a gaze to expect a Revelation in an extraordinary way Or else let him speake plaine and say there is truth enough written in the hearts of every man by nature to save him or that it may be learnt from Philosophers writings let him say as Socinus doth that the substance of the promises is eternall life that the maine thing God lookes after is practise that Heathens and Christians have the same practicall rules written in their heart and so if a man doe but hope for eternall life by observing these practicall rules as many Heathens did witnesse that verse of Phocylides {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and the Discourses of Socrates Plato Hermes c. hee may be eternally saved and then we shall know how free he is from Socinidnisme Or else let him confesse that naturall Reason being helped by a supernaturall Revelation in the Word is not able to discerne saving truths so as to beleeve them after a saving manner without the speciall assistance of the holy Ghost such assistance as is vouchsafed to none but the Elect of God and then I will acknowledge that he is no Socinian But otherwise if either he thinke as he seemes to thinke that all the materiall objects which are necessary to salvation may be knowne out of some other booke then Scripture or by some other meanes and that if a man beleeve them meerely as truths probable by reason and doe not receive those truths as the Oracles of God but dictates of Reason then sure he may be a Socinian still nay if he hold a supernaturall Revelation by the Word to be necessary it being the meanes which God hath ordained and so is made necessary to us by Gods ordinance yet if hee thinke this outward revelation to be sufficient without the inward and speciall revelation of the Spirit he may be a Socinian still But this by the way I shall say the lesse of Mr. Chillingworth when I come to touch upon his Booke sure I am such dangerous principles as these will beate greene heads from the study of the Scriptures if they be not censured upon every occasion I know Master Chillingworth protests that he is willing to stand to the judgement of the Catholique Church of this and former ages to the consent of Protestants the Church of England but if he put in the Papists into the Catholicke Church as I beleeve he will then he will say the Papists doe not agree and therefore the Catholick Church of this age is not against the Socinians nay the Fathers doe not all agree and so there is not a Catholick consent of the Ancients as Mr. Chillingworth I beeleeve did purposely shew at large in the eighteenth Section of his Answer to N. N. that so he might winde himselfe out the better in this 28. Section Nay peradventure he will put the Socinians in for to give a vote if you aske for the consent of the Catholique Church of this Age for hee cals them a company of Christians in the 29. Section and though he saith They are erroneous in explicating he doth not say in denying the mysteries of Religion allowing greater liberty in speculative matters so the Socinians call the Articles of the Christian faith then any other company of Christians doth or they should doe yet for their honour he saith they explicate the Lawes of Christ with more rigour and lesse indulgence to the flesh then the Papists doe and that is true but not much for their commendation because they thereby disgrace the Morall Law of God and say it was imperfect till Christ gave new Lawes but Mr. Chillingworth was willing to take any occasion to commend them Moreover if Mr. Chillingworth by the Church of England meane the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and his faction then indeed there will not be a generall consent of the Church of England against the Socinians Once more if he take in all the Arminians and some Iesuited Papists that as Vertumnus Romanus prescribes come to Church and heare our Common prayers and receive the Sacrament in some Congregations in this Kingdome though they bee of Mr. Fisher or Mr. Flued his minde and ranke all these amongst Protestants for we have had strange kinde of Protestants for these twelve yeares last past then I beleeve there will not be a generall consent of such Protestants against the Socinians and so Mr. Chillingworth may oppose Socinianisme when all these agree together to oppose it But indeed hee hath one Argument which makes me beleeve that he and more of that faction who countenance many Socinian errors doe not agree with the Socinians in all points because Socinianisme if it be taken in all its demensions is such a Doctrine by which no man in his right minde can hope for any honour or preferment either in this Church or State or in any other Many men do indeed adventure as farre as they dare this way onely they are afraid of thwarting the great Designe as I shall hereafter shew I dare not excuse Mr. Chillingworths dangerous principles though I account him a very rationall man yet I beleeve him to be the more dangerous I dare not therefore give him that liberty which he gives others and cry Quisque abundet in sensusuo because they are not the words of S. Paul though Mr. Chillingworth father them upon him chap. 2. pag. 92. the words of the Apostle are Let every man be fully perswaded or assured in his own minde Rom. 14. 5. I goe on to shew the danger of Socinianisme It is an Hotch-potch of Gentilisme Turcisme Judaisme and I know not what they have put in some scruples of Christianity to make up the messe The Centuriatours say that Mahomet did compose his Alcoran by the helpe of the Iewes and Iohannes Antiochenus an Arian and
truly Turcisme doth much savour of Iudaisme and Arianisme Now Socinianisme is compounded of the selfe same ingredients Socinus borrowed very much from Servetus and Servetus from the Alcoran as Wajekus proves and Socinus doth acknowledge vide Antiwajek Soc. pag. 33. They say we hinder the conversion of the Turks by departing so far from them whereas they agree with Turks in denying the Godhead eternall generation meritorious satisfaction of Christ in blaspheming the Trinity Paul Alciat and Adam Neuser two Socinians turned Turks nay the Turks discourse more solidly about the Prescience of God then the Socinians or Arminians doe The Resurrection of these very bodies was believed by none but Iewes and Turkes at first as the Socinians would make us believe and the Protestants have received it from them They open a gap to an Atheisticall Libertinisme by promising salvation to all Hereticks ignorant persons if they live but chast sober just lives and expect eternall life for that is the summe of the promises and they need not know or beleeve more all the mysteries of faith are by them counted but meere notions speculations at best and it is no great matter if men have diverse and contrary opinions about them they may all fare well enough truly I thinke one as well as another if there be neither heaven nor hell Socinians are not to be permitted in any Church for they deny that there is as yet any Triumphant Church above nor is it necessary that there should be any Militant Church here below The Arminians jumpe with them in the same conceit they say Christ may bee a King without a kingdome an Head without a body Neque verò necesse esse credimus ad hoc ut Christus rex caput maneat in terris Ecclesiam veram semper esse Their reasons are because Christs kingdome doth rather consist in his owne Soveraigne Authority then in the obedience and subjection of any people Besides if there were a necessity of it that there must be a Church on earth then Christs people would not be a free willing people and so there would be no spirituall Church if they are not left at liberty to accept or refuse Christ sure that is a rebellious Liberty for a liberty to reject Christ is a liberty to rebell No man they say need inquire after the true Church much lesse is it necessary that he should be a member of the true Church Ubinam quaeso est scriptum Christum praecepisse ut unusquisque inquirat norit quaenam sit vera Ecclesia Socinus de Eccles. Thes. They would not have any marks given of a true Church I suppose for fear theirs should be discovered to be a false but especially they deny that the pure preaching of the word is a note of the true Church for with jeasting Pilate they aske What is Truth How shall it appeare say they that any Church preaches the saving Truth Nay Arminians and Socinians both tell us that there is no need of preaching saving Truths are sufficiently manifested they say and yet it seemes it is not sufficiently manifested to them for they cannot tell what it is They doe not see any great use of the Sacraments they cannot believe that the sprinkling of water upon the body should have any spirituall effects upon the soule they cannot believe that our faith can bee strengthened our pardon sealed Christ and his benefits imparted to us by eating of Bread and drinking Wine Now sure a Church that is without Ministers Sacraments markes or signes of a true Church would be but an empty Titular Church and to such a Church onely should Socinians be admitted Socinians are not to be suffered in any State for they will not shew any obedience or respect to Magistrates they say they have no power to punish hainous offenders in time of peace nor have they power to defend themselves or the people by the Sword in time of Warre But especially they charge the Magistrates to beware how they meddle with good honest Hereticks for all Hereticks in the opinion of Arminians and Socinians who speake favourably in their owne cause are good pious men What they say of the Law of Nations or of a particular State I had rather you should reade in their Writings then in mine I beleeve your patience is already tyred with this briefe narration if any desire to be farther satisfied in particulars let them reade this book CHAP. IV. Whether England hath been or still is in danger to be farther infected with Socinianisme FArther infected I say for it is too evident that it hath been in some measure already infected with this pestilent heresie I know the Archbishop of Canterbury did pretend to crush this cockatrice of Socinianisme but all things being considered it is to be feared that his Canon was ordained for concealing rather then suppressing of Socinianisme for he desired that none but his own party should be admitted to the reading of Socinian books it was made almost impossible for any that were not of his party to take the degree of Batchelour of Divinity I can say more in that point then another or at least improbable they should have means to pay a groat a sheet for Socinian books It is well known that the Arch-Bishop did highly favour and frequently employ men shrewdly suspected for Socinianisme Master Chillingworth to speak modestly hath been too patient being so deeply charged by Knot for his inclining towards some Socinian Tenets no man in Saint Ieromes opinion ought to be patient in such a a case and sure no innocent man would be patient Mr. Chillingworth hath not yet answered Christianity maintained The Protestants doe not own many of those principles which are scattered in Master Chillingworths book and Knot could observe that he proceeded in a destructive way just as the Socinians doe The Reformed Churches abroad wonder that we could finde no better a Champion amongst all our Worthies they who travailed hither out of forrain parts blessed themselves when they saw so much froath and grounds so much Arminianisme and vanity in Master Chillingworths admired peece What doth it advantage the Protestant cause if the Pope be deposed from his infallible chair and Reason enthroned that Socinianisme may be advanced But I am afraid Doctor Potter may take it unkindly that I have named Master Chillingworth before him for his Grace employed Doctour Potter first and he was cryed up as a Patrâ—ne of the Protestant Profession but he sowred his Calvinisme with so much Arminian leaven and sweetned Popery with some such gentle Scruples of Moderate Divinity as they call it that the Jesuites laughed in their sleeves and Knot was so pleasant that he could scarce refrain from laughing openly That these two great Champions doe vent Arminian principles is manifest to any man that hath but peeped into their books Now that Arminianisme is a fair step to Socinianisme hath been sufficiently proved by
Bodecherus though he hath been derided he hath not been answered Peltius Vedelius and others so that I need say no more in that point What Art and care hath been used to propagate the Arminian errours in England would require a large volume and I had laid open all their sleights and projects had not my bookes and notes been seised on to the full God may give me opportunity to say something to that point yet before I finish my course The Church of Scotland complains of his Grace for he first protected Wederburn when he fled from Scotland for fear of the Church-censures because this Wederburn had poysoned the young students in Divinity with Arminianisme in the new Colledge at Saint Andrews his Grace made the same Wederburn Bishop of Dumblane that so he might be Dean of the Kings Chappell and vent all his Arminian errours in the Royall Chappell in despight of all the Presbyteries Then his Grace chose out 24. Royall Chaplaines such as were most likely to preach the Deanes Arminian Tenets to the State when they saw that all preferment did run that way I will not say any thing of Master Sydserf Doctor Forbes c. You may read the complaint at large in a book entitled Ladens {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or the Canterburian self-conviction But that which did most mischiefe was a large Declaration procured by his Grace but sent in the Kings name into Scotland in which their general Assembly was much condemned for passing any censure upon Arminians Besides his Grace had two Scouts in Ireland the Bishop of Derry and Doctour Chappell Behold three Kingdomes infected at once with this deadly disease by the pestilent subtilty of one Arch-Bishop But I shall make it appear that we have gone nearer to Socinianisme yet Acontius was as learned Peltius calls him clandestinus Socinianorum assecla now I have wondred often what was the reason that Acontius was new printed in Oxford by Doctour Potters book-binder Creature I might say if I did affect the language of the times They might as well have Printed Bonfinius for I finde him joyned with Acontius they were both sneaking Socinians they followed Socinus just as Nicodemus followed Christ by stealth in the dark Iacobus Acontius Bonfinius Socini clandestini asseclae Judicious and learned Pareus not long before his death writ a letter on the first of March 1613. ad N. N. in which he expresseth himselfe after this manner Arminium vestrum Sociniani in Polonia expresse ut Suum nuper nominarunt unà cum quodam Bonfinio Acontio clandestinis asseclis quorum authoritate postularunt à fratribus Orthodoxis fraternitatem isti verò fortiter recusarunt Acta ad me misit Synodus Lublinensis cui nuper postridie Natalis Domini respondi c. Pareus was a man of a very peaceable disposition willing to compose all differences which might fairely and honestly be compounded as appeares by his Irenicum and therfore his judgement is to be the more valued but you see he doth not vent his own private opinion but declares the judgement of the Synod I beleeve that every impartiall Reader will think this passage very considerable The Socinians have one Principle which draws a great party after them of all heretikes sectaries Nothing say they is Fundamentally necessary to salvation but only Faith or obedience to the commands of Christ for they make faith obedience all one ut supra Now Acontius was a great stickler in this point and therefore learned Peltius saith this opinion did open a wide gap to let in all heresies into the Church and yet Acontius and the Socinians thought nothing else Fundamentall but obedience to Christs precepts men might deny the Godhead of Jesus Christ and almost any Article of the Christian Faith and yet be Christians good enough in their conceit Nihilque tandem fore Fundamentale praeter istud scil. Obedientiam mandatorum ex mente Acontii Socinianorum positum See Peltius his Epistle Dedicatory prefixed before his Harmony Well might Acontius his book be intitled Stratagemata Satanae but sorry I am that Doctour Potter should be thought to have such an hand in publishing of it that it was known in Oxford by the name of Doctour Potters Stratagems I know Acontius doth in that book mince the matter but the book is so much the more dangerous and cannot but poyson young students more insensibly and irrecoverably Besides Acontius his pretence of moderation and charity will work much upon men that understand not his Stratagems they will conceive that he grew every day more moderate and more a Accurate also and that he complyed so far with the Socinians meerly out of a desire of peace But though the book be close and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth yet ever and anon he lets fall some hopes of being saved without the acknowledgement of those mysteries which the Church hath long held for necessary Articles of faith What did the man that was cured of the palsy beleeve why saith he he did beleeve as it was fit that that man who is called Iesus was from God mark he doth not say that he was God and in favour with God and hoped that he should be healed by him and yet his sins were forgiven Credebat enim ut par est hominem eum qui Iesus diceretur à Deo esse apud eum gratiosum itaque sperabat per eum sanitatem se posse adipisci Illa verò eum cognita etiam habuisse omnia quae diu pro articulis fidei Necessariis habuit Ecclesia quà m sit verisimile cuique judicandum relinquo Sunt alia multa loca quae eódem prorsus tendunt Nay he conceives Abraham the Father of the faithfull to have been ignorant of those Heads of Divinity which we count Articles of Faith Fundamentall Articles Abraham saith he beleeved that he should have off-spring that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed that Canaan should be his Caeterum de Religionis apicibus istis ignorare opinantur scil. Reformati fas non esse mirum est silentium quin ipsum etiam Salutis mysterium per ejus semen Tecte admodum obscureque promittitur I put in scil Reformati for doubtlesse it is a jerk at the Reformed Churches and so that passage fore-cited Ecclesia diu habuit is certainly a jerk for the Nicene Fathers Athanasius and those ancients which required such a distinct confession of faith You see he seems to leave it doubtfull whether Abraham did beleeve in Christ or no these oblique passages and many such in his third book especially doe shew what a good mind he had to favour them who at that time about the yeare 1565. did call the Articles of the Christian faith into question No marvaile if he wrote so warily when Servetus had been made such an example in the yeare 1553. Besides Laelius Socinus was now dead and
it seemssuch slaves he had who to satisfy his ambition and their own would deny both their Principles and his that the Master-plot might thrive and prosper For it is observable that our English Arminians and Socinians are nothing so true to their own principles as the Ringleaders of these factions are beyond the Seas His Grace both in his old book and in his new saith that Reason and ordinary grace superadded by the help of Tradition doe sufficiently enlighten the soul to discern that the Scriptures are the oracles of God here is the Socinians sound or right reason before the illumination of the Spirit but to please the Arminians Ordinary or Universall grace comes in also and the name of Tradition to please the Popish party and what all these are like to doe without the speciall Grace of the holy Spirit I leave it to any Protestant to judge There is another Rule which his Grace holds fast in both his bookes namely That the Churches Declaration can bind us to peace and externall obedience where there is not expresse letter of scripture and sense agreed on What Sir must there be no deduction no consequences allowed must there be expresse letter of Scripture there 's one Socinian rule Secondly when the letter of the text is expresse must not the point contained in the Text and expressed in the letter be accounted Fundamentall because the sense is not agreed upon but the point called into question by some learned Socinian or bold Arminian is the sense of that place of Scripture which hath been received by so many Fathers Councels Reformed Churches Martyrs not true or the point not necessary because it is now called into question by some wanton wits that can hardly agree upon any point Must we then subscribe to that Arminian and Socinian principle Nullum dogma controversum est fundamentale When a point begins to be controverted shall it cease to be Fundamentall By this meanes we may bring in an Atheisticall Libertinisme into the Church we shall have no more Articles of our Faith then the Arminians or Socinians please to leave us I beleeve we shall have a very short Creed one of these dayes if this rule be followed for as fast as they please to question our Articles we must part with them especially if our great Patriarch interpose his Authority his Declaration must passe for the Churches Declaration if he say such a point is controverted and I command you silence it is not Fundamentall now because controverted then we must be silent and let the truth fall to the ground This was the old muzle which was put upon the Ministers mouthes to make them lie still like dumbe dogs whiles the theeves stole away what they pleased this and that Commandement this and the other Article of the Christian faith we must it seemes for Peace sake part with our religion and disobey God that we may obey the Church sure he that hath the head of a Scholar and the heart of a Christian will scarce have any inward Peace if he perform externall obedience in such a case This may suffice for a taste of the Arch-Bishops Divinity nor the young Students could not but take notice of such passages and therefore whet their wits to maintain those opinions which his Grace countenanced There was a great Scholar who asked one of the Canterburian faction what he thought of the Primate of Irelands treatise concerning Christs Incarnation in which he demonstrates that the Word was made flesh and that therefore Christ is God and man the Canterburian answered that indeed there was as much produced upon that argument as could be said upon it but under correction saith he I conceive the Primate hath not cleared the point which he undertook to prove The men of this strain when they were at their height began to vary their expressions they called Christ their great Master or our Lord and Master at the highest so that you could scarce tell by their prayers whether they did respect Christ or their Patrone most for the Chaplaines styled their Patrone their very good Lord and Master Dr. Taylour in his epistle Dedicatory to the Arch-Bishop before the sermon on the Gun powder treason seems to affect that expression of calling Christ our great Master the Socinians will beare them company in such generall expressions and some have thought of composing such a Liturgy as might give no offence to Arminians or Socinians that would be an inoffensive Liturgy indeed and they may doe well to enlarge their Charity and make their Liturgy inoffensive to the Turkes and Jewes as well as the Socinians for any Liturgy which will please one that is a thorow Socinian will please Turkes and Jewes also if it be but warily composed and they will keep themselves in such generall expressions as some doe too much affect But of all that I have met with none comes neer Mr Webberly a Batchelour of Divinity and fellow of Lincolne Colledge who hath translated a Socinian book into English for the benefit of this Nation and prepared it for the presse Now they think they may own the businesse they dare appeare in their proper colours and blaspheme Christ in plaine English But because some parts of Socinianisme strike directly at the superstition of Rome so highly extolled in our dayes and at the pompe of the Clergy which must be maintained by the sword for what care they though England swimme in bloud so they swimme in wealth and pleasure therefore Mr. Webberly tells us very honestly that Socinianisme was to be corrected and chastised with respect to the nature of our climate What need I adde more take all in a word There are some mysterious parts of Socinianisme that seâ—m Rationall these I think in good earnest the men of this age have too much doted on Secondly some parts of Socinianisme they qualify and chastise a little because there is a little too much quick-silver in them Thirdly some parts they doe totally reject because they thwart the maine Designe Fourthly some parts of Socinianisme are instilled into the people that they might be made a meer prey to their Courts in times of Peace and to their army in times of warre Mr. Webberly for instance may be so farre irrationall as to be of the Councell of warre which no strict Socinian would allow but then Mr. Webberly would teach the people that they must not defend their possessions against invading enemies by force of Armes because God hath not given his people any earthly possessions by Covenant under the Gospell as he did under the Law Surely they have heard of Iulian who boxed the Christians on one eare and bid them turn the other eare that they might be boxed on both sides in obedience to their Masters command CHAP. V. Shewes that the famous Atheists Anabaptists and Sectaries so much complained of have been raised or encouraged by the doctrines and practises of the Arminian Socinian and
did they not constantly oppose the Anabaptists in this very point Nay was not the faction of Anabaptists raised by the Devil and fomented by Rome on purpose to hinder the Reformation begun by those worthy Reformers read that great Counsellour Conradus Heresbachius his Epistle to Erasmus and there you will see the Devill raised them up in opposition to the Reformers I know one of late preached valiantly against blessed Luther and said that Luthers book de libertate Christiana gave the first occasion to the giddy Anabaptists to be so extra vagant Lambertus Hortensius indeed hath a touch upon it but he addes withall that though Thomas Muntzer was well read in that book of Luther yet being an illiterate man he did not well understand or else did wrest that book to his purpose now if the book was not well understood and worse interpreted sure the Interpreter was in fault for if he had no learning he might have had some ingenuity or at least humility and left the book to more learned Readers or candid expositours Thomas Muntzerus Saxo erat homo ut accepi illiteratus sed ut apparebat in hoc libello egregie exercitaâ—us scripti interpres parum Candidus We must distinguish betweene the first tumults of Anabaptisticall men and Deliberate Anabaptisme The first tumults were raised above an hundred yeares since by illiterate dreamers such as Nicholas Storke Thomas Muncer Phifer Ringus and the rest yet Muncer at that time laid a faire foundation for Servetus Socinus and the rest to build upon for he denyed the satisfaction of Christ and what Doctrine is Fundamentall if the satisfaction of Christ be not the Socinians make it their grand designe to perswade men that Jesus Christ hath not truly and properly satisfied for our sinnes The Heresy of the Anabaptists was not backed with any strength of Argument nor methodically digested till Servetus and Socinus set to work I must then look upon Servetus and * Socinus as the maine pillars of Deliberate and Refined Anabaptisme Luther must be excused for he was not guilty at all it was an occasion snatched and not given snatched by Muncer not given by Luther when the Anabaptists urged Luthers authority for Luther did utterly disavow any such sense as they put upon his book nay he abhorred their Designe and opposed their faction even at their very first rise When Muncer was stepped aside to Melhusium Luther wrote against him to the Senate and desired them to beware of the woolf in a Sheeps skin this was very early in the yeare 1524. and upon the Lords day as Bullinger assures me In the yeare 1525. and the sixth of Novemb. the Anabaptists were so confident of their own strength that they challenged any Reformed Minister to dispute with them but when they were ready to dispute one of the Anabaptists cryed out Sion Sion rejoyce O Hierusalem they were presently in such a tumult that they were forced to remove to another place yet the Senate Zuinglius and other learned men were so patient as to argue with them three dayes together and when the Anabaptists saw themselves confuted by the evident demonstrations which Zuinglius produced out of the word of God one of them had a designe beyond all the rest he said Zuinglius was a learned man and could prove any thing but saith he O Zuinglius I adjure thee by the living God to speak thy conscience and tell the truth I will quoth Zuinglius thou art a seditious clowne since milder answers will not serve the turn I speak plain and home Upon the 15. day of November 1525. the Senate made a decree against the Anabaptists and declared that Zuinglius had convinced them clearely confuted the Anabaptists and therefore they would proceed severely against all Anabaptists Now about this time Servetus the great Grand-father of Faustus Socinus as hath been shewen began to perk up for Servetus was put to death in the yeare 1553. because he had been a blasphemer for thirty yeares together so it seemes he began to vent his blasphemies as soone as Thomas Muncer himselfe about the yeare 1523. Theodorus Strackius being to set forth the History of the Anabaptists slides on a sudden into a long story of Servetus that monster of Men and enemy of God nay as he saith of the whole true Godhead in the sacred Trinity this Servetus that he might shew his good inclination towards the fanaticall sects of these times saith Strackius hath endeavoured to make the Baptisme of Infants not neglected only but abominated I dare not mention his other blasphemies at which I think the very Devills tremble There are so many severall sects both of Socinians and Anabaptists who have runne away with their mouths full of Anabaptisticall and Socinian blasphemies that we must let them all passe for Sectaries of Servetus and Socinus though some of them are farre more dangerous then others The Anabaptists maintaine some opinions which are as welcome to the Papists and Iesuited party in England as other parts are to the Socinians the Anabaptists did dreame at first of an unwritten Word and a very subtile one too such as the Pope and Jesuites dreame of and such visions and Revelations as the Priests boast of The Designe of the Anabaptists pleased the Papists well because they endeavoured to root out Protestant Princes and Ministers the Papists knew full well that no Church or State could stand without Magistrates and Ministers There is one Iohannes Angelius who commends Servetus and saith he spake nothing but what David George and such like Saints have delivered this Jesuited Politician you see hath praises to spare for Servetus one of the most abominable horrible Anabaptists of all others as reverend Bullinger observes lib. 2. contra Anabaptistas cap. 12. because there are 12. or 13. sects of Anabaptists in his account and Servetus was one of the worst sort but he saith David George went farre beyond even Servetus himselfe The truth is these two were guilty of sublimed Anabaptisme deadly Socinianisme though David George differed from Sociâ—us in a point or two Now what good friends the Iesuites are to the Socinians hath been already shewen what Patrons the Arminians are of Anabaptisme the Professours of Leyden declare This being premitted let us sadly enquire whether our late writers doe encline to the Anabaptists and Socinians in the great point about the Authority of Princes and Magistrates For I know it is commonly said that though the first Reformers did oppose the Anabaptists in this point yet the men that seeme to be most zealous for a Reformation in these unhappy dayes are arrant Anabaptists in this point We live in an angry time and men will speake passionately when they are provoked and vexed I will not therefore take upon me to justify the angry expressions of the most judicious writer much lesse can I ever mention those bastard-Pamphlets without indignation
Christum sine Ecclesiâ somniant â—idei articulum de Catholicâ Ecclesia â—sque ad finem â—nundi evertunt Spreta haud exolesceâ— ejusmodi calumnia sed agnita videbitur apud nimis malos aut nimis credulos aut minùs amiâ—os Vind. C. Barlas p. 7. Naturall Reason saith Mr. Chilling then built on principles common to all men is the last resolution unto which the Churches Authority is but the first Inducement in the margin pag. 65. Mr. Chill counts himselfe no Socinian because he holds Supernaturall Revelation requisite to help naturall Reason Preface sect. 28. Yet he saith Scripture is not beleeved Finally for it self pag. 65. that a man may be saved who knowes not whether there be any Scripture or no pag. 66. It may be humane prudence and ordinary discretion did advise Mr. Chillingworth to use no more industry in finding out the truth or he hath not been at leisure because of some hindrances andâ— distraction and then he hopes that none of his errours will be imputed to him p. 19. Answer to the Preface I would willingly know whether D. Potter doth not take in the Socinians into his christian world p. 255. Why he makes the Church of England to take part with the Jesuites against Piscator and Calvin implies that Calvinisme is as the black-mouthed Sorbonist called it Bestiarum Religio p. 256 257 258. Edit. 2. Mangones haresium sub praetextu moderatioris Theologia â— nâ—stris ecclesiis verè Reformatâ—s exierunt Ioh. Peltius Remonstrantes aiunt sese cum omnibus aliis sectis imoue Socinianis exceptis fraternitatem posse colere excepta Reformata Ecclesiâ Apolog. ad Censur. Prof. Leid Arminianâ—s Socinianes in viginti ultra articulis per variâ—s paragraphos distinctis convenire probatumdedit 1. Peltius Non nâ—gamus inquiunt RemonstraÌ„tes esse nonnulla ad salutem creditu necessaria pracise sed ea pauca esse arbitramur Et hic etiaÌ„ inquiunt Profess Leyd gentum spirituÌ„ Socinianum animadvertimus Paucissima ad salâ—tem prorsus necessarta sunt inquit Socinus nempe ut Deus Iesus Christus divino honore colatur praesertim verò Chartt as erga proximum exerceatur Quam fideÌ„ charitatem putant in eo subsistere qui neget Christum esse eundâ—m cum Patre Deum Spiritum Sanctum esse personam c. vide Prâ—fess Leyd. CensuraÌ„ Praefationu Re monstr prefix Confess sect. 22. a Caspar Barlaeus Iudâ—os Deum Abrahamâ— colcre quaÌ„vâ— constet eos Iesum ChristuÌ„ blasphemare pios esse posse Deoque acceptos itemque Dei amicos secundum Accuratioré Theologiam dici posse statuit uti Vedellus de Deo Synagogae Dr Poâ—ter recites some such passages p. 117. of his own book but will not take any notice of Acontius Dr. Potter might have corrected these passages out of his own principles because for want of clear Revelation he frees the Church before Christ and the disciples of Christ from damnable errour though they beleeved not those things which he who should now deny were no Christian read from p. 245. to 250. of Dr. Potters book of Charity c. See Dr. Page his answer to that Treatise and a little box of Antidotes against some infectious passages in a Tract concerning Schisme Sumâ—â— Religion is Socinianâ— hâ—c esâ— sub spe alterius vitâ— observare Mandata Dei uti Caloviâ—s consid. Th Soâ—in Prooem p. 86. Sufficit ut sâ—iamus quae reverae praecipiantur vel vetentur à Deo adeo ut si in reliquu error occurrat nemo ob eun deÌ„ calo excludatur Socin Epist. 2. ad Dudithium Arch-Bishops relatiion see pag. 309 310 311. The Arch Bâ—shops Relation pag. 171. The Arch-Bishop calls Socinianisme an horâ—id monster of al Heâ—ies pag. 310. Talis non paucis Declarantium esset Theologia Sociniana in pluribus Articuliâ— quam tamen hactenâ—â— publiee elâ—gere non ausi funt propter scandalum ideâ— ab â—is qua minus iâ—vtdtosa putarunt insidiose in incipientes viam illaÌ„ tâ—tissimam tentarunt Prefess Leyd. Censur. Praefat. Rem Sect. 23. The old Book p. â—4 new 121. The old book p. 9. The new p. 31. Ab iis quae minus invidiosa putarunt insidiose incipâ—entes viam illam suam tutissimaÌ„ tentaruÌ„t ultertus Progressuâ—â— si pro votâ— succesissâ—t non dubiuÌ„ est quin remonstr. Soc. in unam eandem sectam coaluerint etsi non in omnibus alits plane conveniant publice docent unuÌ„quemque in sua fide salvari posse c. Profess Leyd. Cens. Prafat. Sect. 23. The Preface to the Author c. Sect. 7 8. 11. This is the mother give her the childe c. c. 2. p. 50. The doctrine of Indulgences takes away the fear of Purgatory the doctrine of Putgatory the fear of Hell the love of God will not be kindled in the hearts of ignoraÌ„t meÌ„ by Latine service nor by the masse if it were in English because some sins are made veniall the people may well doubt whether there be any mortall because the Pope hath struck out the second Commandement the people may think he hath Authority to strike out the first The foundation of all the Papists faith the Churches Authority is built lastly and wholly upon Prudentiall motives Ac de Atheis quidem non it a fisissem crediturus unquam nisi me tenellum adhue ipsorum agmina summo discrimine salutu mea sâ—lâ—citavissent ante triginta annos quum liâ—â—ris humanioribus operam in Gallia darem â— Iunii sac parallela praefat. Libellum de ss. Scriptura Authoritate Dominicus Lopez Societ Iesu anno 1588. Hispali edidit Dâ—Calovius de orig. Theol. Soc. pag. 22. Mr. Chilling Answer to Knots-directioâ—s to N. N. sect. 18. Ideo diâ—unt Reâ—oÌ„strantes se nolle hareses aut AthelsmuÌ„ introducere quia noÌ„ habent pro hare si id quod revera heresis Atheismus est abomns ecclesia qua Deum in tribus personis adorat pro heresi Atheismo habetur Uedel de Arean Arminianismi lib. 1. cap 1 lib. 2 c. 10. pag. 86 87. Vide Brochmand de Peccato c 6. 9. 1. Pelagio auxiliares mâ—nus prabeâ—t Anabaptistae c. Colloqu Frankâ—aâ—t 4 p. 230 231. Peccatum morte Christi it a expiatuÌ„ ablatum esse ut infantes naseantur omnis labâ—â— expertes ac eaprâ—pter lavacro Regenerationâ—â— nonindigeant Smalcius disp. 2. contr. Francium peccatum originis commentum est fabula Uide Conrad Heresb de factione Monast. Theod. Strack Hist. Anabapt pag 56. * Si qui adeo tenera aut sic à teneru imbutae conscientiae sinc ut credant Christianâ— nulli ne quidem Magistratum gerenti licere sanguinem fundere aut capitalâ—bus suppliciis in sontes animadvertere Remonstiantes eos libenter tolerare paratisunt Exam. Cens. cap. 12 pag. 141. * Defensio contra injustam vim quâ— sine potestate effundendi sâ—nguâ—nem est non